AbbVie Nears $54 Billion Shire Deal

Deal Would Be Latest 'Inversion' Play

LONDON—U.S. drug maker AbbVie Inc. is close to clinching a deal to buy Dublin-based Shire PLC for more than £31 billion ($53.6 billion), in what would be one of the largest so-called inversion deals through which U.S. companies are seeking a lower corporate tax burden.

After four days of renewed talks between the two drug makers, Shire said Monday it had received a revised offer from AbbVie of £53.20 a share over the weekend. Shire...